1. ) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicles such as lawn and garden tractors, and, more specifically, to a circuit board arrangement for the ignition and other portions of the electrical system for such a vehicle.
2.) Related Art
As more safety interlock systems are added to lawn and garden vehicles, the ignition circuit complexity has increased. To determine the operational state of tractor subsystems such as the PTO (power take off), transmission and brakes, more sensors, switches, relays, and wiring circuits have been included. The additional components have typically brought with them an decrease in the reliability of the wiring system. The severe operating environment of the vehicles often causes degradation of the wiring terminals which results in increase voltage drops and the inability to engage solenoids.
Heretofore, additional relays stacked in stages were required to overcome the problems caused by voltage drops. Typically, a relay is added in an accessible area and a wiring harness is connected to the relay. Diodes are often added to the harness which increases manufacturing time and expense. Easy and neat assembly of the system is not possible. Testing the electrical system during manufacture, and diagnosis and repair of the system during the life of the vehicle have become increasingly difficult. Adding extra features to the electrical system such as time delays, bulb checks or the like can be troublesome.